Photo: Winners of the Stittsville Appreciation Awards various categories. Photo by Barry Gray.
The 10th annual Stittsville Appreciation Awards were held at the Goulbourn Recreation Complex on Thursday evening, hosted by Coun. Shad Qadri.
The awards, which date back in concept to pre-amalgamation times as the Goulbourn Appreciation Awards, are intended to celebrate the “Stittsville spirit” of volunteerism and neighbourliness, Qadri said.
“When I look at the history of Stittsville, I am reminded that while the rural landscape has changed, one thing did not; people,” Qadri said in a speech before the awards were handed out. “These appreciation awards act as a reminder of the neighbourly spirit that continues to this day.”
Following in bold are the winners of each category. Photos by Barry Gray.
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
- Pathway Jiu Jitsu
- Stittsville Central/Ottawa Start
- Stittsville District Lions Club
- U-Rock Music School
- Värdera Café & Lounge
- Warmston Family Dentistry
SENIOR CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
- Ron Hauck
- Carole Herbert
YOUTH CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
- Rohan Abraham
- Lexis Berkin
- Robyn Davy
- Elisabeth Pilon
- Shannon Wallace
TEACHER OF THE YEAR (a new category)
- Nicole Charest
- Maura Cuffari
- Noelle Georganas
- Jonathan Hare
- Curtis MacNeil
- Sheryl Stonehouse
ROGER GRIFFITHS MEMORIAL CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
This special award is named after the late Roger Griffiths, best described as an outstanding citizen of Goulbourn. He served as a township councillor from 1977 to 1978 and again from 1982 to 1988. He was also a president of the Stittsville Legion for five terms and was a captain in the Stittsville Volunteer Fire Department. He died in 1988.
His daughter Lynn handed out the award and said in a short speech that her father would likely have been “embarrassed” to know an award had been named after him and was still being handed out in 2018. While Lynn lives downtown, some members of the Griffiths family traveled from the U.S. to be present at the ceremony.
- Kim Bonin
- Melanie and Marek Driver
- Tanya Hein
- Wesley Smith
- Karla Torres and Murilo Torres
